Current Contest

📝May 1-May 31 📝

Circle C & Goldtown Fall Writing Contest (10/10 – 11/13)

Check out the winners here: FALL WINNERS > Check out all of the entries here: ENTRIES >

🖼️Fall Contest: Picture Prompts 🖼️

You may choose one of these picture prompts to jump start your imagination. Or, you may find a picture of your own to write about. Make sure the picture is historically accurate and relevant to Circle C or Goldtown. Click each image to enlarge it (and download if you want). Thank you, Anaya, Sara, and Emma for contributing to our Photo Prompts. 👏🏼

1. Why is Andi hiding in this tree?
2. Why is Jem in this flume?
3. Riley? Chad? What’s going on?
4. How did Justin get hurt?
5. Who is it? What is he up to?
6. Chad and his son Thomas
7. Fire!
8. A Broken Fence!
9. Young Carter Brothers
10. Andi in a mountain river
11. Andi at the Seashore?
12. Jem or another in a gold mine.
13. Runaways?
14. Who lives in this shack?
15. Palomino Tobiano from where?
16. Who? What? Where? Why?
17. Three Gold-hunting Boys
18. Melinda? Here? Why?

📝 Fall Contest: Word Prompts 📝

You may choose a word prompt to jump start your imagination. However, if you have your own Circle C or Goldtown idea, that’s fine too! Just make sure it’s historically accurate and relevant. You may also combine a picture with a word prompt! Whatever you want to do! Don’t forget to read the rules to see the word count and how to send your story. Read on to find three categories of writing prompts.

“What If?” Prompts

Write a new plot twist or different ending to one of these Circle C Adventures favorites.

  1. What if Andi cannot escape Jed Hatton, and he takes her to Mexico? How does she get home? (Dangerous Decision)
  2. What if Troy Swanson catches up with Andi and the kids and he snatches Betsy or Hannah and leaves. What happens next? (Family Secret)
  3. What if Ellie had obeyed and gone with Nathan back to Goldtown and Jem was left tied to the tree? How would he escape? (Badge of Honor)
  4. What if Andi, Jenny, and the little Chinese girls are not able to escape from the warehouse and end up being shanghaied to China? How do they get back to America? (San Francisco Smugglers)
  5. What if the mountain lion in Trouble with Treasure comes back the next day?
  6. What if Jack Goodwin does not have a change of heart and does not bring Taffy back in Price of Truth? Does Mr. Wilson sell Taffy? If so, how does Andi find her?
  7. What if Taffy does not die in The Last Ride?
  8. What if Riley does not find Andi and Lucy in time in Courageous Love, and they are taken to Mexico? How do they rescue baby Sammy and get home to their families?
  9. What if Jem was not able to rescue his sister, Ellie, from the River Duchess and she ended up in San Francisco lost and alone? (River of Peril)
  10. Find your own plot event from a Circle C (or Goldtown) book and write a new plot twist and/or ending.

“Point of View” Prompts

  • 11. Cory’s point of view when he heads down the mountain to get help and is grabbed by Deputy Hugh Baker. (Trouble with Treasure)
  • 12. The cowhand Toledo’s POV from any scene in Heartbreak Trail.
  • 13. Cory’s “story” after he and Andi part ways and he heads to the Hawaiian Islands and finally makes his way to Washington Territory. (“Auld Lang Syne” from Stranger in the Glade)
  • 14. Jenny’s POV from any scene in San Francisco Smugglers or Trouble with Treasure.
  • 15. Write from any character’s POV you choose from any Circle C or Goldtown book.

Other Random Story Prompts

  • 16. When Dakota ran into the ranch yard with no saddle and sweating like his hide was on fire, Andi knew something was wrong.
  • 17. The chestnut looked like she had seen cruelty her whole life. Her sides were scarred and bleeding and her head hung low, the only sign of life in her thin frame found in her deep, fiery eyes. The blond-haired girl looked from the mare to Andi. “You have to help me save her.”
  • 18. Andi and Riley (plus their children) go to the Circle C for Sunday evening supper to find everyone gone without a trace!
  • 19. The circus comes to town, and Andi Prescott is shocked to see Toledo (Heartbreak Trail) preforming with his horse, Sultan!
  • 20. Andi has found a new pet. What is it? And what adventure (or trouble) does this new pet bring?
  • 21. Come up with your own idea for a story, based on the Circle C or Goldtown stories.

🎁Fall Contest: Pick Your Prizes🎁

One winner from each of the two age categories (ages 9-12 and ages 13-17). Each winner may pick one item from each of the categories (#1, #2, #3). If you choose a tumbler (#2), you may choose which series you want it to highlight. If you choose a audiobook (#3), you may choose the audiobook. It will be delivered to you as an instant download, unless you specifically ask for the audiobook to be loaded onto a USB drive. Note: These are the last two Terrible Secret books. Of course, you can always order a copy (with the new cover) from Lulu.com >

👀 Check These Rules Before Sending 👀

👉 Include all of these on your actual story submission (None of these count as part of your word count).

  1. Name and age
  2. Email
  3. An original title for your story
  4. The number of the picture and/or prompt you used (If you did not use a prompt, say so ).

👉 Keep your story under 3,000 words (no exceptions). Note this change in word count!

👉 Two age groups: 9-12 and 13-17, one winner from each age category. Contest ends Wednesday, November 13 @ 5pm Pacific Time. Winners announced Friday, November 22.

👉 You may enter ONE story as a Word Document, a Google Doc, or in the body of your email. NO PDF files.

👉 Send your story to CircleCAdventures@gmail.com (Only to this address. Please do not send to any of Mrs. M’s other email addresses. I would feel badly if you story got lost, which will happen if stories are scattered among my various emails.

👉 I accept international entries, but I ship physical prizes to US addresses only. If the winner is international, I’m sure we can work out a deal for digital prizes. 😊

1,257 thoughts on “Current Contest”

  2. Oh, and Brianna, what does ‘bc’ mean? You put ‘bc’ right after ‘don’t be discouraged.’ Was it a typo, or is it an abbreviation I don’t know about?

    Like

    Reply

  3. Oh, it means because. I hope to publish, too! I dont write many Andi stories just for fun either…in fact the one that im in the middle of isnt really getting worked on…lol. Would you like to self publish, or get a contract with a real publisher? I think self publish.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. It depends. If I could, I would like to get a contract with a publisher because my story would probably be more widely read. But I also hear getting a contract is stressful, and if I did self-publication, I could design the cover and art. Hmm…

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      2. Thanks, Mrs. M. I’m not done yet, but I’ll defiantly look at that when I finish the book. (I’m actually already signed up for your writing workshop. My mom got me the personal feedback thing)

        Liked by 1 person

    2. What kinds of stories (or books) are you working on now, Brianna? I’ve got a mystery one with a little over twenty pages and a medieval one I just started recently. They are going really well, but I’ve been too busy to write much recently.

      Like

      Reply

      1. Haha, funny! I’m working on a mystery too! My favorite genres to read and write are; adventure, mystery, animals, and history! Also i’m working on a story from a dog POV (point of view) and a girl that boarded the Titanic. All very exciting!

        Like

      2. I like mystery, adventure, and animal books, too! But what exactly do you mean by history? Do you pick up a textbook and read it? Or a historical book about one person? Or do you like historical fiction? I’m not a huge history person, but I like historical fiction.

        Like

      3. What’s happening in your mystery book? Mine has a girl named Jade whose C.I.A (or F.B.I, I can’t quite remember) parents get kidnapped and Jade has to find them.

        Like

  4. Mrs. M., i have a lot of stories i entered, but only two are up. Can i ask you to put them up through a comment, or would i have to contact you?

    Like

    Reply

  6. History as in historical fiction (like the Andi books)😉. It starts out as a mystery that the kids’ parents put together just for fun, but then it leads to a family secret. I love family secrets and so i love Andrea Carter and the family secret! What about you?

    Like

    Reply

    1. Wow! We like all the same kinds of books. I enjoyed Family Secret, but I think my favorite Adventures book was Price of Truth. Have you read the Milestones ones? I just recently got the 3-6. My favorite was Courageous Love.

      Like

      Reply

  8. My favorite out of the CCA is; Family Secret, Price of Truth, and Dangerous Decision! No, i haven’t read all the Milestones. My mom says I’m too young.

    Like

    Reply

      2. I know, Sarah!!! Courageous Love was soooooo good. It was hard for me to put it down! I think I finished it in a day or two…

        Like

    2. Courageous Love was very well done and definitely worth the wait (until your mom thinks you’re old enough.) Sometimes it frustrating not finishing a series but just be respectful, parents are always looking out for us!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  9. Does your Mom think that they’d be too hard to read? Because they really aren’t that much harder than the Adventures ones.

    Like

    Reply

    1. I meant that i didn’t read ALL the Milestones. i started the series but don’t know how far i’ll get until i’m too young (probably before Courageous Love). And yes, they’re not much harder then the CCA.

      Like

      Reply

    1. Hiya! (Jasea and Brianna)
      My fav books are Family Secret, Dangerous Decision and maybe the last ride!
      What is your fav fan fiction story?
      Believe it or not but I’ve read them ALL! lol! 🙂 and I think my fav is Love Conquers All. I have read this story too many times to count!
      -Sara

      Like

      Reply

      2. I most definitely have not read them all. But what I read (from the current summer contest), I really enjoyed Gone but Not Forgotten. I also liked Change in the Wind and Through the Waters.

        Like

  11. ahhh its been such a busy summer that i never even finished my story!
    Whoops!
    Well i guess ill just submit it as FF later on when im done with it

    Like

    Reply

  12. Great stories all around. Everybody worked SO hard and created some wonderful masterpieces this summer. Good luck to the six contestants who made it to the readers voting level. I wish everybody could win. 🙂

    I didn’t get to the readers voting level, but I’m hoping to enter the fall contest this year….
    And maybe the annual contest next year😉

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

  18. Thanks to all the people who commented on my story ‘It Started with a Rope and Ended with a Trough.’ I would thank you individually, but the site there is different than what I’ve got here. Sorry if that doesn’t make sense… (It’s nothing you need to fix, Mrs. M, it’s just me)

    Like

    Reply

  20. So many great story’s here! My story wasn’t picked to vote for, but there’s always a first. Thank you everyone for such heartwarming story’s!!!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  21. Also, thank you guys for commenting on my Fan Fiction Story’s. That warmed my heart! I also wanted to say that my Fan Fiction story, “The Wild Mare”, got entered in the St. Louis County Fair, and won! Thank you all for such good work.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. Well, hurrah for you, Lexi! I’m SO GLAD you kept submitting! It goes to show that judges have many different things they look at, and your story ended up at the fair and found favor! Is this the same fair from “Meet Me in St. Louis, Meet Me at the Fair”?

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  22. Hey, Mrs. M, my computer is telling me that a ‘Peek Behind the Curtain’ is a ‘Page Not Found.’ Are you not done with the link yet, or is it just me?!

    Like

    Reply

    2. I learned that I had changed the name of the category from “Peek Behind the Curtain” to “A Peek Behind the Curtain” so that made it go “dark” until I inserted the new category. Again, thanks a bunch for seeing that and bringing it to my attention. You guys are so on the ball!

      Like

      Reply

  23. If possible, could you do this up coming fall writing contest with a prompt not including Andi or Jem like last year? As for prizes, here’s a few ideas…
    The Fan Fun pack
    or..
    Any one or two books from your store and a travel tumbler

    Like

    Reply

  25. Mrs. M., would it be cheating if i took part of Heartbreak Trail and rewrote it so it would be totally different and use it was a contest entry? It would be very different from the way you originally wrote it.

    Like

    Reply

    1. Yes, as long as you are not copying the actual words from the copyrighted work. Judges frown on that. But go to this link and see all the things the kids have done (even for a contest) with different points of view. Warning: Don’t use Andi’s point of view because that would be too close to the original story, and the judges would recognize it as a sloppy rewrite. LOL

      But taking a book and creating an original story from another character’s point of view is always fun and totally acceptable for a contest.
      https://andicartersblog.com/characters-overview/

      Like

      Reply

    1. Where did you see a picture of Colton on this page? He is not bigger than his mama. The update is not going up until a week from Friday, September 2. So, I’m not sure what you are seeing.

      Like

      Reply

    1. Who are you? There are so many anonymous commentors that I can’t keep track. I haven’t readd anything on the comments that aren’t fine. What did you say that you are concerned about? 🙂

      Like

      Reply

  36. This so is exciting! I never did an annual before! Did you decide on the prizes yet, Mrs M.? Not to rush you, I’d just like to know! Also, what kind of prizes did you offer for past annual contests? Thanks!

    Like

    Reply

  40. What will this next book with all the winning stories be called? Need any ideas? Maybe something like, “Under the Western Sun.” Doesn’t sound as great as the others though. Maybe you can do a post asking for book title ideas + anything else you need suggestions for

    Like

    Reply

    1. Well sure…. But I am not the one picking out the top winners so it doesn’t matter if I know your name and age. I read every story and format the files so every story looks alike and is easy for the judges to read. 😉

      Like

      Reply

  45. Sorry, I haven’t been able to participate in the contest… My mom’s pregnant with Noah Isaac. He’s due any time! He’ll be the 9th kid in our family!! Noah’s due date was 10 days ago! We’re planning to go to Massachusetts in about a month! My birthday’s August 13. What about you Mrs. Marllow, and Brianna?

    Like

    Reply

  46. Mrs. M, when are you usually on the blog??? Just curious, because maybe we could chat. My bedtime is around 7:00 pm, wake up is 7:00 am. Soooo, I’m not allowed on the phone then!

    Like

    Reply

    1. I check the blog comments on my phone but don’t really chat … Like a chat box. I used to have one but took it down because it prevents some kids from being allowed on my blog. Chat boxes are tricky things so I avoid them.

      Like

      Reply

Leave a reply to Sarah Cancel reply